Sam looks so great are you sure that is the same dog he looks happy. Inverness you have done an incredible job and how nice of BMD lover to step in and help you, I am sure that this has been financially and physically exhausting. Thank you for caring so much it shows in Sams face how happy he looks compared to those first photos. You are an

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Robin
A dog has so many friends because they wag their tails not their tongues.
R.I.P. Buddy 2002-2008 The best Mastiff ever.
Now owned by Clark the Crazy American Bulldog

Picked up Sam I am, as I refer to him today. What an absolute sweetheart he is. His next week will be very tough so please just think of him and keep positive thoughts. We have to get aggressive with his medical treatment without further aging him too fast. It's a fine line we will be walking most likely but it's in Sam's best interests. I'll keep everyone updated on his progress etc.. Thanks MC for sending the rescue wagon out to find me, figures I would get lost. And Sam sends a big body rub your way!

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"For every animal that dies in a shelter, there is someone somewhere responsible for its death".

for Sam I am! Does he have to get baths with medicated shampoo? Or is it antibiotics? Poor baby....is his treatment very expensive?

I'll know better this morning what the beginnings will be. Inverness will agree that Sam has this odour about him.... After driving with him for two hours my brain finally remembered where I had smelled it before...k... don't get grossed out but it's the exact same smell as when a baby pukes milk up that is somewhat digested.. It's as a result of his body trying to heal the lesions and the dead decaying skin hangs around to protect it.. so it results in a form of a yeast infection kind of between new and old skin. At least that's how I understood the explanation yesterday. That's what has to be attacked so to speak. The how's are not too clear yet but we may have to completely shave the poor guy to stimulate the new skin and get at the old. We're also going to try to switch off the prednisone which is aging him rapidly and try some other avenues which are less organ deteriorating but just as effective. Of course, they are more costly but if it turns him around completely then it's worth it. We are going with the principal that Inverness already started "slow and steady wins the race" and you can bet we want Sam to win with flying colors.

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"For every animal that dies in a shelter, there is someone somewhere responsible for its death".

I'm surprised you made it alive Jenn. Sam does have this unbearable smell that doesn't go away with any shampoo since it's in his skin. Made me laugh when people told me to give him a big kiss or a big hug for them. But hey, I still did, nobody can resist Mr Sam. I felt he smelt like decaying skin and yeast.

I hope that by switching to a different treatment, we will see progress. We've been stuck on a plateau for a few weeks, with no improvement whatsoever, and a slow reappearance of skin lesions, although he was still taking very high doses of predsnisone. We're risking Cushings or Addison and there must be some other way of doing this.

I did something stupid last night... I was feeding the dogs and being busy and in a hurry, I totally forgot Sam was gone. I prepared his meal, walked out with his food bowl in my hands and opened his run, didn't understand right away why I couldn't hear him coming as always, cause he was always so hungry now, and then I just remembered, and stood there crying with his food in one hand, swearing because I had wasted all that kibble...

I did something stupid last night... I was feeding the dogs and being busy and in a hurry, I totally forgot Sam was gone. I prepared his meal, walked out with his food bowl in my hands

I do the same with Daisy's water bowl :sad: I hope you girls have help from vets or at least good prices for Sam's treatment.I knew mange was a big deal but I didn't know it was that long of a process.Poor Sam...I would give him a kiss too,even if he smells bad. Good luck and speedy recovery

I do the same with Daisy's water bowl :sad: I hope you girls have help from vets or at least good prices for Sam's treatment.I knew mange was a big deal but I didn't know it was that long of a process.Poor Sam...I would give him a kiss too,even if he smells bad. Good luck and speedy recovery

Sam doesn't have mange. He's got an immune disease called pemphigus. If it was only mange...

By looking at the symptoms and the dog's response to cortisone. A biopsy will be done so we know what type of pemphigus we are dealing with. The sores on Sam's body are very typical of pemphigus. I you make a Google image search, you'll see pics of pemphigus on people. Sam has the same thing.

I don't know if you buy into alternative treatments for animals but there is a holistic vet not far from here (Southeast Montreal) who is apparently very good. There is another vet on Salaberry (?) who also has a combined approach. I wonder if they might have some ideas for calming his immune system.
Poor thing, at least he has you to give him some semblance of a normal life. Fingers crossed that the vet will be able to get him stabilized.

Met with the vet today. He is going to do a blood panel on Sam I Am and go from there. He's concerned that his organs are shutting down. He's also going to shave Sam and treat him with a special scrub to help with the healing. A biopsy will be done to find out what exactly Sam has as the vet does not concur with previous findings. The biopsy would tell them exactly what Sam has and how to treat it. The blood work will tell us if Sam can stand anymore treatment without us killing him. Although Sam has gained weight, there is no muscle mass nor fat which does not help the drugs to work effectively. So I sit and hope beyond hope that they can turn this all around. Our vet wants more than anything for Sam to be ok... His words "What an incredible dog". So please all think positive thoughts for him.

We will in time (God willing) move to hollistic drugs such as Natural Hydrocortisone should that be deemed the drug to treat. Our vet is very open to alternatives and he agrees that Sam's body cannot handle much more. It's make or break time. Sam amazes me by his desire to be close and be loved. To see a dog who is in such rough shape crawl into your lap and roll over for a belly rub is heatbreaking. I'm sorry.. Sam's case is a rough one as looking into his face I cannot ever forgive the people who allowed this to happen to him. This is truly a test of anyones faith in human kind. :sad:

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"For every animal that dies in a shelter, there is someone somewhere responsible for its death".

oh poor Sam he reminds me so much of Hank and it breaks my heart:sad: With hank the only thing that worked was Prednisone and it is so hard on the body, big to you all and Sam he is in the best of hands and knows he is loved, that is one of the most important things right now:love:

Sam does not appear to be in pain but unfortunately, Berners have an extremely high pain threshold so we can't guarantee that. What he appears most to be is extremely itchy. So he's having some benedryl injections to help him not feel so much like his skin is crawling.

I'll keep everyone very updated on his progress through the week. I know Sam has become special to all of you as Hank was. I'm still sad when I think of Hank's passing.

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"For every animal that dies in a shelter, there is someone somewhere responsible for its death".

BMDLuver lets just hope and pray that Sam gets through this, I know how hard it is to watch them when you think they are in pain but he looks so much better and that is such a wonderful thing, if there is ever anything I can do just let me know. Like Hank Sam did not have a good start in life but he now knows love and affection and that is such a comfort to him, it is amazing what love can do.

Yes,Hanks passing hit us all hard,it just did not seem fair,he was rescued from a bad situation,gets care and love and even a new family..then he dies:sad:
Hopefully Sam will do better,he already looks so much better,but this is a terrible desease,all we can do is hope we know he is in loving hands:love:

Visited with Sam today. He is feeling much more comfortable right now and was full of wiggles and kisses. He is scheduled for the biopsy tomorrow so then I think we have to wait 72 plus hours to get the results back from St. Hyacinthe. I was encouraged at how spry he did look today so maybe we'll beat this yet.

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"For every animal that dies in a shelter, there is someone somewhere responsible for its death".